“If this Tory government wants to say that the Scottish Parliament is better placed to make these decisions, then give us the full power over benefits and the budget that goes with it.

“It is a ridiculous argument to say that the Tories can make cuts and keep the money and expect the Scottish Parliament to fill the gap.”

A report from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) found it would cost Scotland about £200 million over the next four years to mitigate the clause using Holyrood's new powers to top up benefits.

Ms Sturgeon said that making women who have been raped relive the trauma of the experience to access chid tax credits was “utterly appalling”.

She added: “But it is policies like this, and other attacks on the most vulnerable in society – including pensioners, the disabled, vulnerable young adults and the bereaved – which would be pursued by a Tory Government with a bigger majority.

“The Tories now think they can do what they want to Scotland and get away with it.”

Meanwhile, Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, said Ms Davidson would have to “defend the rape clause every single day of the general election campaign”.

Annie Wells, Scottish Conservative equalities spokeswoman, said her party hoped to use the debate on Tuesday to set out why limiting child tax credit to the first two children was the right course of action.

She added: “We will also be re-affirming our view that exemptions to these limits should apply for women who have been through the most difficult circumstances and had a child due to rape.

“This debate is an opportunity for the SNP government to set out whether or not it wants to use its welfare powers to scrap the limits to child tax credits in Scotland.

“We will also be using the debate to repeat our calls for the SNP to provide more support services for women who have suffered sexual violence.”